Trimess

Sunday, January 29, 2012

TriMet Board of Directors Via E-mail ℅ Kelly Runnion

Re: There must be more options than just pricing people with
disabilities off of needed due mandated LIFT Paratransit service.
*Before you consider the fare increase proposal on the table, more
below...

Dear Board Members:

I know there can be other
options besides huge unfair fare increases focused on the backs of
people with disabilities in order to balance TriMet's budget shortfall.
That due to TriMet managements' errors causing the budgetary issues
using proposed/unfair fare increases as the method of balancing TriMet's
budget is ludicrous. That overall public transit needs to be managed in
a proper manner keeping transit affordable encouraging people to use
public transit as intended for a healthier environment etc. And, one
example of poor judgment by TriMet management is the labor dispute with
the union which to date outcomes have not been what management thought
outcomes would be. That shortfall due to managements' wrong presumption
has impacted the budget horribly and pricing people with disabilities
off of LIFT Paratransit service because of managements' errors in
judgment etc is clearly wrong. Additionally the ADA is clear paratransit
service must be affordable and the proposal on the table makes LIFT
unaffordable in direct conflict with the ADA as pointed out by TriMet
management. (Management pointing out found in the ADA guidance for
paratransit service: paratransit service must be affordable.)

Claim: The value of the Willamette Shore/Jefferson Street right-of-way is $0 since at least some of it is only an agreement to allow a rail line, and no railroad would be interested in purchasing it

Reality: I don't know if Erik (partially) owns his home or not, but he should understand that the value of it isn't what he could get for it today, but in the shelter it provides. Likewise, the value of the right-of-way is the ability to use it for a rail transit line.

(The value matters since the Federal government is willing to use that as match in a project funding agreement. Also, to be clear, I haven't been gung-ho for the streetcar project that was proposed.)

Transit Police Officers (TPD) teamed up with federal security partners this week on a 4-day mission on MAX. The VIPR teams (Visible Intermodal Prevention and Response) are Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) federal agents. TriMet and our federal security partners conduct these types of deployments regularly at random times throughout the year. The missions are designed to enhance security by working in mass transit, aviation, maritime, rail and other transportation modes alongside local law enforcement agencies. The exact makeup of the VIPR teams is determined jointly with local authorities and DHS.

This particular deployment was not in response to any specific or recent activity or threat. The deployment started last Sunday, January 22nd, with teams riding the trains looking for any suspicious activity. They walked through trains and deboarded, allowing trains to continue revenue service. The missions were successful but reported back no higher-than-usual rates of arrest or exclusions.

Overall ridership was down about 10 percent during last week’s two snow days. Ridership typically drops during winter weather events and last week’s snow days were no exception. TriMet sees many new riders during winter weather events, but a lot of people stay home or do not make as many trips as usual. Here are the ridership numbers for last week’s snow days:

There is going to be a lot of conversation in the coming weeks and months about fares. Should we re-structure them, how much should we raise them, how do we make them easier to collect, how much more should we be investing in enforcement, and how does it affect particular communities or particular stakeholders. It is an important topic - after all, about 1/4 of our operating budget comes from fares. When I talk to operators, no topic gets more attention. For example, we are getting pretty positive feedback on the transfer printer being showcased during this week's sign-up.

Most operators also tell me - get rid of the zones! One of my objectives, embedded in our five year plan - is making sure whatever we do in the short-term lines up with the trajectory we want to be on in the long term. More specifically, I think we need to modernize our fare system, and move to the next generation of electronic fares - that will take a few years - but one thing we've heard from other transit agencies who have already implemented electronic fares: "...the first thing you need to do is simplify your fare policy and structure as much as possible." Electrons don't make a complex fare system simple all by themselves.

Between now and February 8th, I will be working to put together the budget plan based on the work of the budget task force, the nearly 5,000 survey responses we got, stakeholders, and what I've heard over time from our operators and other staff. A fare proposal will be part of that - and then the whole community of transit riders will have a chance to engage on the topic. Much more to come.

Though TriMet strives to balance simplicity and ease of use for the customer vs. offering different products to address specific markets, it is apparent that over time the fare system has become too complicated, with too many different products. It is very difficult
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for new and infrequent riders to figure out, primarily due to a zone system that can be complicated even for frequent riders. This can be a barrier to new riders, and for existing riders, the complex fare structure can lead to disputes at the farebox. Another source of customer concern is that transfer times are different on bus and rail. TriMet will review changes to both fare policy and technology to address these concerns.

New riders and visitors in particular complain that it is difficult to determine the correct fare to buy. TriMet’s own research on how riders buy fares shows that new and infrequent riders often buy the wrong fare because they have difficulty figuring out zones.
In addition to the zones, the fare structure is complicated by the fact that TriMet has more than 35 different fare instruments, including a variety of tickets and passes, for customers to choose. For example, there are 5 different monthly passes: adult all zone, adult zone 1 and 2, adult zone 2 and 3 zone, honored citizen, and youth. In addition, TriMet issues an annual pass, a half monthly pass, a 30 day rolling pass, a 14 day rolling pass, a 7 day rolling pass, a packet of ten ride tickets, a seven day scratch-off pass, an upgrade, and employer passes.

TriMet does operate commuter rail service. Most transit properties charge a premium fare for commuter rail service. When the WES commuter rail service began, an interagency agreement specified that the fare would not be higher than TriMet’s fares. The cost to ride WES is an all zone fare with a free transfer to other TriMet service. Because WES provides premium commuter service, a premium fare could be considered as part of the fare review. However, a premium fare would need to be balanced against the potential negative effect on ridership.

Bus transfers are made of flimsy paper, are extremely difficult for riders to decipher and difficult for operators to issue because they must be ripped individually.

I don't know whether TriMet is equally resigned to its inability to
police the mess, but the agency's public perception and commitment to
the task both took dramatic hits at week's end. On the morning following
another celebrated brush with violence aboard MAX, TriMet was lobbying
for another obnoxious fare increase